US20030173763A1 - Knee protector - Google Patents
Knee protector Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20030173763A1 US20030173763A1 US10/356,668 US35666803A US2003173763A1 US 20030173763 A1 US20030173763 A1 US 20030173763A1 US 35666803 A US35666803 A US 35666803A US 2003173763 A1 US2003173763 A1 US 2003173763A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- load receiving
- receiving part
- load
- fragile
- knee protector
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
- B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
- B60R21/04—Padded linings for the vehicle interior ; Energy absorbing structures associated with padded or non-padded linings
- B60R21/045—Padded linings for the vehicle interior ; Energy absorbing structures associated with padded or non-padded linings associated with the instrument panel or dashboard
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
- B60R2021/003—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks characterised by occupant or pedestian
- B60R2021/0039—Body parts of the occupant or pedestrian affected by the accident
- B60R2021/0051—Knees
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a knee protector that protects a driver in the event of head-on collision of a vehicle.
- a conventionally knee protector has been provided that deforms in response to a load applied from the knees of a seated driver moving forward in the direction of the length of a vehicle in the event of head-on collision to thereby reduce an impact load applied to the knees of the driver.
- Such a knee protector is arranged such that a load receiving part thereof is positioned substantially in front of the knees of the seated driver in order to receive the load applied by the knees of the driver to the knee protector in the event of head-on collision.
- the knee protector is a component that is placed at a predetermined position in the vehicle, and therefore, the load receiving part thereof is also placed at a predetermined position on every occasion.
- the positions of the knees of seated drivers differ in horizontal and vertical directions according to their statures.
- the load receiving part may not be positioned in front of the knees of the seated driver, and may not sufficiently receive the load applied by the knees of the driver to the knee protector in the event of head-on collision.
- Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 11-180237 has disclosed a knee protector whose width is increased in the direction of the width of a vehicle and whose length is sufficiently increased in the direction of the height of the vehicle so that the position of the knee of a driver can correspond to the position of a load receiving part of the knee protector even if the statures of seated drivers and the positions of their knees vary.
- the present invention provides a knee protector whose load receiving part can be positioned in front of the knees of drivers of different statures without greatly increasing the weight and the cost of the knee protectors.
- a knee protector according to the present invention is arranged in front of a seat in a vehicle and is shaped suitably for the stature of a driver whose positional relationship between the stature and the knees is assumed.
- a load receiving part of the knee protector has an upper portion thereof shaped suitably for a person who is relatively tall in stature, and a lower portion thereof shaped suitably for a person who is relatively short in stature. Therefore, it is possible to position the load receiving part of the knee protector in front of the knees of drivers of different statures, and to enable the knee protector to maintain a high capability to absorb impact without increasing the weight or cost.
- the load receiving part receives a load inputted from the knees of a driver who is moving forward, and the load transmitted from the load receiving part deforms a deforming part, thus displacing the load receiving part forward to sufficiently receive the load inputted from the knees of the driver.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a knee protector mounted on a vehicle body according to an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a side view showing the knee protector mounted on the vehicle body according to the embodiment
- FIG. 3 is a view taken on arrow A of FIG. 2, the view showing a left leg knee protector according to the embodiment;
- FIG. 4A to 4 E are sectional views showing the knee protector of FIG. 3, wherein FIG. 4A is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3, FIG. 4B is a sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 3, FIG. 4C is a sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 3, FIG. 4D is a sectional view taken along line D-D of FIG. 3, and FIG. 4E is a sectional view taken along line E-E of FIG. 3;
- FIG. 5 is a view taken on arrow B, showing the left leg knee protector of FIG. 3;
- FIG. 6 is a side view showing the left leg knee protector before and after it is deformed in the case where a driver is of relatively tall stature.
- FIG. 7 is a side view showing the left leg knee protector before and after it is deformed in the case where a driver is of relatively short stature.
- a steering support member 3 for supporting a steering column 2 is mounted on an internal wall of a vehicle body, not shown, via brackets 4 to extend in the direction of the width of a vehicle.
- a pair of braces 5 extending downward is attached to the central part of the steering support member 3 .
- the instrument panel 1 is fastened on flange 4 a of the brackets 4 , flange 5 a of the braces 5 , and so forth by screws and the like.
- a left leg knee protector 7 and a right leg knee protector 8 are provided as a driver seat knee protector 6 .
- the knee protectors 7 and 8 have respective upper end flanges 7 a and 8 a thereof secured to mounting brackets 31 a and 31 b , which are welded to the steering support member 3 , with bolts, nuts, and the like.
- the knee protectors 7 and 8 have respective lower end flanges 7 b and 8 b thereof secured to a part of the instrument panel 1 in the vicinity of a lower end edge 1 b of an opening 1 a formed in the instrument panel 1 with bolts, nuts, and the like.
- An undercover 9 is attached to the instrument panel 1 such that it may close the opening 1 a and cover both of the knee protectors 7 and 8 .
- FIGS. 3 - 7 illustrate the details of the left leg knee protector 7 .
- the left leg knee protector 7 is formed of one strip-shaped plate, and a part thereof located between the upper end flange 7 a and the lower end flange 7 b is protruded rearward in the direction of the length of the vehicle (i.e. toward the driver).
- the part between the upper end flange 7 a and the lower end flange 7 b is comprised of an upward extending part 7 c extending from the upper end flange 7 a rearward in the direction of the length of the vehicle, a downward extending part 7 d extending from the lower end flange 7 b rearward in the direction of the length of the vehicle, and a load receiving part 7 e that connects the upward extending part 7 c and the downward extending part 7 d to each other.
- the load receiving part 7 e is comprised of an upper portion 7 e 1 and a lower portion 7 e 2 .
- the upward extending part 7 c , load receiving part 7 e , and downward extending part 7 d are arranged such that, from the upper side to the lower side, substantially the whole shape thereof is inclined from the side of the seat (the side of the seat in the direction of the width of the vehicle) toward the center of the seat. From the upper side to the lower side, the load receiving part 7 e is inclined downward and forward in the direction of the length of the vehicle and is inclined from the side of the seat toward the center of the seat.
- the left leg knee protector 7 is formed with two beads 71 and 72 extending between the upper end flange 7 a and the lower end flange 7 b toward the driver.
- the beads 71 and 72 are formed by drawing one strip-shaped plate.
- the bead height D 1 (FIG. 4B) of the upper portion 7 e 1 of the load receiving part 7 e is set to be higher than the bead height D 2 (FIG. 4D) of the lower portion 7 e 2 of the load receiving part 7 e.
- the left leg knee protector 7 is formed with notches 10 and an opening 11 at predetermined positions.
- the locations where the notches 10 and the opening 11 are formed are used as deforming parts that exert an impact absorbing function by deforming when the knee of the seated driver abuts against the left leg knee protector 7 in the event of collision.
- the deforming parts are comprised of an upper fragile part 12 a between the upper flange 7 a and the upward extending portion 7 c , a first fragile part 12 b provided between the upward extending part 7 c and a substantially middle part, a third fragile part 12 c between the upward extending part 7 c and the load receiving part 7 e , a second fragile part 12 d between the load receiving part 7 e and the downward extending part 7 d , and a lower fragile part 12 e between the downward extending part 7 d and the lower end flange 7 b .
- the notches 10 and the opening 11 are formed as the need arises.
- the knee protector 7 is substantially arched such that the fragile parts 12 b , 12 c , and 12 d thereof are slightly protruded and curved inward in a vehicle compartment.
- the fragile part 12 b protrudes slightly upward and the fragile part 12 d protrudes slightly downward.
- the third fragile part 12 c (high-stiffness deforming part) has a higher stiffness than the fragile parts 12 b and 12 d (low-stiffness deforming parts).
- the bead height D 3 (FIG. 4C) of the third fragile part 12 c is set to be higher than the bead heights D 4 and D 5 (FIGS. 4A and 4E) of the fragile parts 12 b and 12 d .
- the third fragile part 12 c is a high stiffness fragile part, and the first and second fragile parts 12 b and 12 d are low stiffness fragile parts, such that D 3 >D 4 and D 3 >D 5 .
- the seated driver is relatively large in stature, his or her left knee 13 is located at a higher position and is closer to the side of the seat (the side of the seat in the direction of the width of the seat) as compared with the knee of a person who is relatively small in stature.
- the load receiving part 7 e of the left leg knee protector 7 is inclined forward in the direction of the length of the vehicle and inclined from the side of the seat toward the center of the seat. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the knee 13 of the driver is opposed to the upper portion 7 e 1 of the load receiving part 7 e of the left leg knee protector 7 across the undercover 9 (not shown in FIG. 6).
- the knee protector 7 deforms considerably to such an extent that the first fragile part 12 b with a low stiffness protrudes upward ( 12 b ′), and therefore, the upper extending part 7 c is folded about the first fragile part 12 b and the third fragile part 12 c deforms to protrude forward in the direction of the length of the vehicle.
- the knee protector as a whole is shaped like a hairpin such that the upper extending part 7 c is folded about the first fragile part 12 b , so that the knee protector can absorb the load applied by the knee 13 of the driver.
- the first fragile part 12 b with a low stiffness is deformed first to bend upward in response to the advancement of the knee of the driver, thus folding the upper extending part to enable the load receiving part 7 e to deform forward in the direction of the length of the vehicle, generating an absorption stroke for impact absorption.
- the third fragile part 12 c with a high stiffness is deformed about the first fragile part 12 b to displace the load receiving part 7 e forward in the direction of the length of the vehicle, thus generating a further absorption stroke.
- the seated driver is relatively small in stature, his or her left knee 13 is located at a lower position and is closer to the center of the seat (the center of the seat in the direction of the width of the seat) as compared with the knee of a person of relatively large stature.
- the load receiving part 7 e of the left leg knee protector 7 is inclined forward in the direction of the length of the vehicle and inclined from the side toward the center of the seat. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the knee 13 of the driver is opposed to the lower portion 7 e 2 of the load receiving part 7 e of the left leg knee protector 7 across the undercover 9 .
- the knee 13 of the driver is abutted against the lower portion 7 e 2 of the load receiving part 7 e via the undercover 9 .
- the left leg knee protector 7 deforms considerably to such an extent that the second fragile part 12 d protrudes forward in the direction of the length of the vehicle ( 12 d ′) and the first fragile part 12 b protrudes upward ( 12 b ′).
- the knee protector as a whole is shaped substantially like a ladle to absorb the impact applied by the knee 13 of the driver.
- the second fragile part 12 d with a low stiffness is deformed about the third fragile part 12 c to generate an absorption stroke for impact absorption.
- the first fragile part 12 b deforms to be folded toward the front of the vehicle, so that the third fragile part 12 c strokes forward to generate an absorption stroke for impact absorption.
- the upper extending part 7 c , load receiving part 7 e , and lower extending part 7 d are constructed such that, from the upper side to the lower side, substantially the whole shape thereof is inclined from the side of the seat toward the center of the seat
- the knee protector may take any shape insofar as, from the upper side to the lower side, the load receiving part 7 e receiving the knee 13 of the driver is inclined from the side of the seat toward the center of the seat.
- the upper extending part 7 c and the lower extending part 7 d should not necessarily be inclined from the side of the seat toward the center of the seat.
- the bead height D 2 (FIG. 4D) of the lower portion 7 e 2 of the load receiving part 7 e is set to be lower than the bead height D 1 (FIG. 4B) of the upper portion 7 e 1 of the load receiving part 7 e .
- This enables the load allowed by the upper portion 7 e 1 and the lower portion 7 e 2 of the load receiving part 7 e to be varied, prevents the lower portion 7 e 2 of the load receiving part 7 e from becoming excessively stiff against the drive, and provides the proper impact absorption when the knee of the driver of relatively small stature advances.
- the present invention is not so limited.
- the board thickness of the knee protector may also be varied. Specifically, the board thickness of the knee protector may be larger at a part requiring a higher stiffness and smaller at a part requiring a lower stiffness.
- the right leg knee protector 8 and the left leg knee protector 7 are shaped symmetrically about the steering column 2 , and thus, a detailed description of the right leg knee protector 8 is omitted. It should be noted that the inclination of the right leg knee protector 8 inclined from the side of the seat toward the center of the seat may be determined independently of the left leg knee protector 7 , and it is possible that only one of the left leg knee protector 7 and the right leg knee protector 8 may be inclined.
- the above described driver seat knee protector 6 is constructed such that, from the upper side to the lower side, the load receiving part 7 e is inclined from the side of the seat toward the center of the seat, and thus, even if the position of the knee 13 of the driver varies according to his or her stature, the load receiving part 7 e can be positioned in front of the knee 13 . Therefore, the load receiving part 7 e can receive the knee 13 of the driver in the event of collision regardless of the stature of the driver. Consequently, the driver seat knee protector 6 can effectively absorb impact.
- the first fragile part 12 b and the third fragile part 12 c cooperate with each other to deform the knee protector 7 as a whole substantially like a hairpin as described above, so that the knee protector 7 can absorb and receive the load inputted from the knee of the driver who is relatively large in stature.
- the first fragile part 12 b and the third fragile part 12 c cooperate with each other to deform the knee protector 7 as a whole substantially like a ladle as described above, so that the knee protector 7 can absorb and receive the load inputted from the knee of the driver who is relatively small in stature.
- the fragile parts such as the first fragile part 12 b , third fragile part 12 c , and second fragile part 12 d cooperate with each other to deform differently according to the stature of a driver, so that the knee protector as a whole can be deformed differently. Therefore, the knee protector can properly absorb and receive load inputted from the knees of drivers of different statures.
- the load receiving part 7 e can be positioned in front of the knee 13 , and therefore, the driver seat knee protector 6 can have the minimum width required for the driver seat knee protector 6 to achieve the impact absorption effect without increasing the weight and cost of the drive seat knee protector 6 .
Abstract
Description
- (1) Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to a knee protector that protects a driver in the event of head-on collision of a vehicle.
- (2) Description of the Related Art
- A conventionally knee protector has been provided that deforms in response to a load applied from the knees of a seated driver moving forward in the direction of the length of a vehicle in the event of head-on collision to thereby reduce an impact load applied to the knees of the driver.
- Such a knee protector is arranged such that a load receiving part thereof is positioned substantially in front of the knees of the seated driver in order to receive the load applied by the knees of the driver to the knee protector in the event of head-on collision.
- The knee protector is a component that is placed at a predetermined position in the vehicle, and therefore, the load receiving part thereof is also placed at a predetermined position on every occasion. The positions of the knees of seated drivers differ in horizontal and vertical directions according to their statures. Thus, the load receiving part may not be positioned in front of the knees of the seated driver, and may not sufficiently receive the load applied by the knees of the driver to the knee protector in the event of head-on collision.
- To address this problem, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 11-180237 has disclosed a knee protector whose width is increased in the direction of the width of a vehicle and whose length is sufficiently increased in the direction of the height of the vehicle so that the position of the knee of a driver can correspond to the position of a load receiving part of the knee protector even if the statures of seated drivers and the positions of their knees vary.
- The above-mentioned prior art, however, has the problem that the increase in the size of the knee protector in the directions of the width and height of the vehicle will increase the weight of the knee protector and accordingly raises the cost.
- It would therefore be desirable to provide a knee protector whose load receiving part can be positioned in front of the knees of drivers of different statures without greatly increasing the weight and the cost of the knee protector.
- The present invention provides a knee protector whose load receiving part can be positioned in front of the knees of drivers of different statures without greatly increasing the weight and the cost of the knee protectors.
- A knee protector according to the present invention is arranged in front of a seat in a vehicle and is shaped suitably for the stature of a driver whose positional relationship between the stature and the knees is assumed. A load receiving part of the knee protector has an upper portion thereof shaped suitably for a person who is relatively tall in stature, and a lower portion thereof shaped suitably for a person who is relatively short in stature. Therefore, it is possible to position the load receiving part of the knee protector in front of the knees of drivers of different statures, and to enable the knee protector to maintain a high capability to absorb impact without increasing the weight or cost.
- More specifically, in the event of head-on collision, the load receiving part receives a load inputted from the knees of a driver who is moving forward, and the load transmitted from the load receiving part deforms a deforming part, thus displacing the load receiving part forward to sufficiently receive the load inputted from the knees of the driver.
- The nature of this invention, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures and wherein:
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a knee protector mounted on a vehicle body according to an embodiment of the present invention;
- FIG. 2 is a side view showing the knee protector mounted on the vehicle body according to the embodiment;
- FIG. 3 is a view taken on arrow A of FIG. 2, the view showing a left leg knee protector according to the embodiment;
- FIG. 4A to4E are sectional views showing the knee protector of FIG. 3, wherein FIG. 4A is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3, FIG. 4B is a sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 3, FIG. 4C is a sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 3, FIG. 4D is a sectional view taken along line D-D of FIG. 3, and FIG. 4E is a sectional view taken along line E-E of FIG. 3;
- FIG. 5 is a view taken on arrow B, showing the left leg knee protector of FIG. 3;
- FIG. 6 is a side view showing the left leg knee protector before and after it is deformed in the case where a driver is of relatively tall stature; and
- FIG. 7 is a side view showing the left leg knee protector before and after it is deformed in the case where a driver is of relatively short stature.
- The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing a preferred embodiment thereof. It is to be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the following embodiment, but certain changes and modifications may be possible within the scope of the appended claims.
- As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, inside an instrument panel1, a
steering support member 3 for supporting a steering column 2 is mounted on an internal wall of a vehicle body, not shown, viabrackets 4 to extend in the direction of the width of a vehicle. A pair ofbraces 5 extending downward is attached to the central part of thesteering support member 3. The instrument panel 1 is fastened onflange 4 a of thebrackets 4,flange 5 a of thebraces 5, and so forth by screws and the like. - At both sides of the steering column2 arranged in the vicinity of a driver seat, a left
leg knee protector 7 and a rightleg knee protector 8 are provided as a driverseat knee protector 6. Theknee protectors upper end flanges brackets 31 a and 31 b, which are welded to thesteering support member 3, with bolts, nuts, and the like. - The
knee protectors lower end flanges knee protectors - In the event of collision of the vehicle provided with the above described
knee protector 6, the left leg and the right leg of a driver are protected by the leftleg knee protector 7 and the rightleg knee protector 8, respectively. - FIGS.3-7 illustrate the details of the left
leg knee protector 7. The leftleg knee protector 7 is formed of one strip-shaped plate, and a part thereof located between theupper end flange 7 a and thelower end flange 7 b is protruded rearward in the direction of the length of the vehicle (i.e. toward the driver). The part between theupper end flange 7 a and thelower end flange 7 b is comprised of an upward extendingpart 7 c extending from theupper end flange 7 a rearward in the direction of the length of the vehicle, a downward extendingpart 7 d extending from thelower end flange 7 b rearward in the direction of the length of the vehicle, and aload receiving part 7 e that connects the upward extendingpart 7 c and the downward extendingpart 7 d to each other. Theload receiving part 7 e is comprised of anupper portion 7 e 1 and alower portion 7 e 2. - The upward extending
part 7 c,load receiving part 7 e, and downward extendingpart 7 d are arranged such that, from the upper side to the lower side, substantially the whole shape thereof is inclined from the side of the seat (the side of the seat in the direction of the width of the vehicle) toward the center of the seat. From the upper side to the lower side, theload receiving part 7 e is inclined downward and forward in the direction of the length of the vehicle and is inclined from the side of the seat toward the center of the seat. - The left
leg knee protector 7 is formed with twobeads upper end flange 7 a and thelower end flange 7 b toward the driver. Thebeads upper portion 7 e 1 of theload receiving part 7 e is set to be higher than the bead height D2 (FIG. 4D) of thelower portion 7 e 2 of theload receiving part 7 e. - The left
leg knee protector 7 is formed withnotches 10 and an opening 11 at predetermined positions. The locations where thenotches 10 and the opening 11 are formed are used as deforming parts that exert an impact absorbing function by deforming when the knee of the seated driver abuts against the leftleg knee protector 7 in the event of collision. The deforming parts are comprised of an upperfragile part 12 a between theupper flange 7 a and the upward extendingportion 7 c, a firstfragile part 12 b provided between the upward extendingpart 7 c and a substantially middle part, a thirdfragile part 12 c between the upward extendingpart 7 c and theload receiving part 7 e, a secondfragile part 12 d between theload receiving part 7 e and the downward extendingpart 7 d, and a lowerfragile part 12 e between the downward extendingpart 7 d and thelower end flange 7 b. It should be noted that thenotches 10 and the opening 11 are formed as the need arises. - The
knee protector 7 is substantially arched such that thefragile parts fragile part 12 b protrudes slightly upward and thefragile part 12 d protrudes slightly downward. - The third
fragile part 12 c (high-stiffness deforming part) has a higher stiffness than thefragile parts fragile part 12 c is set to be higher than the bead heights D4 and D5(FIGS. 4A and 4E) of thefragile parts fragile part 12 c is a high stiffness fragile part, and the first and secondfragile parts - Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a detailed description will now be given of a process in which a
knee 13 of the seated driver and the leftleg knee protector 7 constructed as described above are abutted against each other to absorb impact in the event of collision. - If the seated driver is relatively large in stature, his or her
left knee 13 is located at a higher position and is closer to the side of the seat (the side of the seat in the direction of the width of the seat) as compared with the knee of a person who is relatively small in stature. From the upper side to the lower side, theload receiving part 7 e of the leftleg knee protector 7 is inclined forward in the direction of the length of the vehicle and inclined from the side of the seat toward the center of the seat. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, theknee 13 of the driver is opposed to theupper portion 7 e 1 of theload receiving part 7 e of the leftleg knee protector 7 across the undercover 9 (not shown in FIG. 6). If the vehicle crashes in this state, theknee 13 of the driver is abutted against theupper portion 7 e 1 of theload receiving part 7 e via theundercover 9. On this occasion, as indicated by an alternate long and short dash line of FIG. 6, the leftleg knee protector 7 deforms considerably to such an extent that the firstfragile part 12 b with a low stiffness protrudes upward (12 b′), and therefore, the upper extendingpart 7 c is folded about the firstfragile part 12 b and the thirdfragile part 12 c deforms to protrude forward in the direction of the length of the vehicle. As a result, the knee protector as a whole is shaped like a hairpin such that the upper extendingpart 7 c is folded about the firstfragile part 12 b, so that the knee protector can absorb the load applied by theknee 13 of the driver. - Specifically, the first
fragile part 12 b with a low stiffness is deformed first to bend upward in response to the advancement of the knee of the driver, thus folding the upper extending part to enable theload receiving part 7 e to deform forward in the direction of the length of the vehicle, generating an absorption stroke for impact absorption. Thereafter, the thirdfragile part 12 c with a high stiffness is deformed about the firstfragile part 12 b to displace theload receiving part 7 e forward in the direction of the length of the vehicle, thus generating a further absorption stroke. - On the other hand, if the seated driver is relatively small in stature, his or her
left knee 13 is located at a lower position and is closer to the center of the seat (the center of the seat in the direction of the width of the seat) as compared with the knee of a person of relatively large stature. From the upper side to the lower side, theload receiving part 7 e of the leftleg knee protector 7 is inclined forward in the direction of the length of the vehicle and inclined from the side toward the center of the seat. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, theknee 13 of the driver is opposed to thelower portion 7 e 2 of theload receiving part 7 e of the leftleg knee protector 7 across theundercover 9. When the vehicle crashes in this state, theknee 13 of the driver is abutted against thelower portion 7 e 2 of theload receiving part 7 e via theundercover 9. On this occasion, as indicated by an alternate long and short dash line of FIG. 7, the leftleg knee protector 7 deforms considerably to such an extent that the secondfragile part 12 d protrudes forward in the direction of the length of the vehicle (12 d′) and the firstfragile part 12 b protrudes upward (12 b′). As a result, the knee protector as a whole is shaped substantially like a ladle to absorb the impact applied by theknee 13 of the driver. - Specifically, the second
fragile part 12 d with a low stiffness is deformed about the thirdfragile part 12 c to generate an absorption stroke for impact absorption. Further, the firstfragile part 12 b deforms to be folded toward the front of the vehicle, so that the thirdfragile part 12 c strokes forward to generate an absorption stroke for impact absorption. - Although in the above described embodiment, the upper extending
part 7 c, load receivingpart 7 e, and lower extendingpart 7 d are constructed such that, from the upper side to the lower side, substantially the whole shape thereof is inclined from the side of the seat toward the center of the seat, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the knee protector may take any shape insofar as, from the upper side to the lower side, theload receiving part 7 e receiving theknee 13 of the driver is inclined from the side of the seat toward the center of the seat. Namely, from the upper side to the lower side, the upper extendingpart 7 c and the lower extendingpart 7 d should not necessarily be inclined from the side of the seat toward the center of the seat. - Further, the bead height D2 (FIG. 4D) of the
lower portion 7 e 2 of theload receiving part 7 e is set to be lower than the bead height D1 (FIG. 4B) of theupper portion 7 e 1 of theload receiving part 7 e. This enables the load allowed by theupper portion 7 e 1 and thelower portion 7 e 2 of theload receiving part 7 e to be varied, prevents thelower portion 7 e 2 of theload receiving part 7 e from becoming excessively stiff against the drive, and provides the proper impact absorption when the knee of the driver of relatively small stature advances. - Further, although in the above described embodiment, the load inputted from the knees of drivers of different statures is properly absorbed by changing the stiffness of the first, second, and third
fragile parts upper portions 7e 1 and 7 e 2 of theload receiving part 7 e, the present invention is not so limited. The board thickness of the knee protector may also be varied. Specifically, the board thickness of the knee protector may be larger at a part requiring a higher stiffness and smaller at a part requiring a lower stiffness. - The right
leg knee protector 8 and the leftleg knee protector 7 are shaped symmetrically about the steering column 2, and thus, a detailed description of the rightleg knee protector 8 is omitted. It should be noted that the inclination of the rightleg knee protector 8 inclined from the side of the seat toward the center of the seat may be determined independently of the leftleg knee protector 7, and it is possible that only one of the leftleg knee protector 7 and the rightleg knee protector 8 may be inclined. - The above described driver
seat knee protector 6 according to the embodiment of the present invention is constructed such that, from the upper side to the lower side, theload receiving part 7 e is inclined from the side of the seat toward the center of the seat, and thus, even if the position of theknee 13 of the driver varies according to his or her stature, theload receiving part 7 e can be positioned in front of theknee 13. Therefore, theload receiving part 7 e can receive theknee 13 of the driver in the event of collision regardless of the stature of the driver. Consequently, the driverseat knee protector 6 can effectively absorb impact. - Particularly if a driver is relatively large in stature, the first
fragile part 12 b and the thirdfragile part 12 c cooperate with each other to deform theknee protector 7 as a whole substantially like a hairpin as described above, so that theknee protector 7 can absorb and receive the load inputted from the knee of the driver who is relatively large in stature. If a driver is relatively small in stature, the firstfragile part 12 b and the thirdfragile part 12 c cooperate with each other to deform theknee protector 7 as a whole substantially like a ladle as described above, so that theknee protector 7 can absorb and receive the load inputted from the knee of the driver who is relatively small in stature. - Specifically, the fragile parts such as the first
fragile part 12 b, thirdfragile part 12 c, and secondfragile part 12 d cooperate with each other to deform differently according to the stature of a driver, so that the knee protector as a whole can be deformed differently. Therefore, the knee protector can properly absorb and receive load inputted from the knees of drivers of different statures. - Further, even if the position of the
knee 13 of the seated driver varies according to the stature of a driver, theload receiving part 7 e can be positioned in front of theknee 13, and therefore, the driverseat knee protector 6 can have the minimum width required for the driverseat knee protector 6 to achieve the impact absorption effect without increasing the weight and cost of the driveseat knee protector 6. - Further, due to the reduction in the space required for the knee protector, it is possible to effectively use the space around the steering column.
Claims (16)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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JPJP2002-023402 | 2002-01-31 | ||
JP2002023402A JP2003220914A (en) | 2002-01-31 | 2002-01-31 | Knee protector |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20030173763A1 true US20030173763A1 (en) | 2003-09-18 |
US6883833B2 US6883833B2 (en) | 2005-04-26 |
Family
ID=27746124
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/356,668 Expired - Lifetime US6883833B2 (en) | 2002-01-31 | 2003-01-31 | Knee protector |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US6883833B2 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2003220914A (en) |
Cited By (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20040222669A1 (en) * | 2003-05-06 | 2004-11-11 | Davis Joseph J. | Universal energy absorbing bracket |
US20050001416A1 (en) * | 2003-05-27 | 2005-01-06 | Mutsuo Muramatsu | Knee bolster |
US20060061199A1 (en) * | 2004-07-20 | 2006-03-23 | Kong Byung S | Knee bolster bracket structure of vehicle |
US20060082116A1 (en) * | 2004-10-14 | 2006-04-20 | Riefe Richard K | Knee bolster |
US20090134670A1 (en) * | 2007-11-27 | 2009-05-28 | Clark Gregory M | Seal and water catch for recreational vehicle |
US20090179411A1 (en) * | 2008-01-11 | 2009-07-16 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. | Instrument panel energy transferring system |
US20090289470A1 (en) * | 2008-05-23 | 2009-11-26 | Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc. | Panel assembly for a vehicle |
US7708313B2 (en) | 2005-09-01 | 2010-05-04 | International Automotive Components Group North America, Inc. | Plastic basket countermeasure for door side impact |
US20110109113A1 (en) * | 2009-11-06 | 2011-05-12 | Suzuki Motor Corporation | Surrounding Structure of Storage Compartment of Instrument Panel |
US9845065B2 (en) * | 2016-03-24 | 2017-12-19 | Hyundai Motor Company | Knee bolster device for vehicle |
US20180029555A1 (en) * | 2015-04-17 | 2018-02-01 | Ningbo Geely Automobile Research & Development Co. Ltd | Energy-absorbing knee bolster frame for a vehicle |
US20190367097A1 (en) * | 2018-05-29 | 2019-12-05 | Faurecia Interior Systems, Inc. | Fixation leg for a vehicle interior panel and method of manufacturing same |
Families Citing this family (13)
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JP3981826B2 (en) * | 2002-12-25 | 2007-09-26 | 三菱自動車工業株式会社 | Crew protection device |
US7204515B2 (en) * | 2004-03-09 | 2007-04-17 | Toyota Technical Center Usa, Inc. | Occupant restraint mechanism |
US20050274584A1 (en) * | 2004-05-26 | 2005-12-15 | Intensa Inc. | Deformation Element for a Vehicle Dashboard |
JP4538303B2 (en) * | 2004-11-26 | 2010-09-08 | 富士重工業株式会社 | Knee guard |
JP5016204B2 (en) * | 2005-06-10 | 2012-09-05 | カルソニックカンセイ株式会社 | Vehicle knee protector structure |
JP4670535B2 (en) * | 2005-08-05 | 2011-04-13 | スズキ株式会社 | Instrument panel occupant protection device |
DE602006013286D1 (en) * | 2006-05-16 | 2010-05-12 | Ford Global Tech Llc | Sicherheitseinrictung |
JP4710862B2 (en) * | 2007-04-02 | 2011-06-29 | 豊田合成株式会社 | Air bag device for knee protection |
JP5128227B2 (en) * | 2007-10-02 | 2013-01-23 | マツダ株式会社 | Structure around the instrument panel of a car |
JP5310689B2 (en) | 2010-09-30 | 2013-10-09 | トヨタ自動車株式会社 | Vehicle occupant knee protection device |
US8585087B2 (en) * | 2011-11-01 | 2013-11-19 | Ford Global Technologies | Knee bolster bracket |
US9604589B1 (en) * | 2015-10-29 | 2017-03-28 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Polymeric bracket for instrumental panel side passenger knee protection |
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JP3192728B2 (en) * | 1992-01-31 | 2001-07-30 | マツダ株式会社 | Car knee protector |
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US4709943A (en) * | 1985-07-17 | 1987-12-01 | Mazda Motor Corporation | Knee protector structure for vehicle |
US5577770A (en) * | 1994-08-26 | 1996-11-26 | Mercedes-Benz Ag | Deformation bar for energy-absorbing support |
US5927755A (en) * | 1997-01-31 | 1999-07-27 | Isuzu Motors Limited | Knee bolster structure |
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US6921128B2 (en) * | 2003-05-06 | 2005-07-26 | Lear Corporation | Universal energy absorbing bracket |
US20040222669A1 (en) * | 2003-05-06 | 2004-11-11 | Davis Joseph J. | Universal energy absorbing bracket |
US20050001416A1 (en) * | 2003-05-27 | 2005-01-06 | Mutsuo Muramatsu | Knee bolster |
US7354065B2 (en) | 2003-05-27 | 2008-04-08 | Mitsubishi Jidodhsa Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Knee bolster |
US20060061199A1 (en) * | 2004-07-20 | 2006-03-23 | Kong Byung S | Knee bolster bracket structure of vehicle |
US7478832B2 (en) * | 2004-07-20 | 2009-01-20 | Hyundai Motor Company | Knee bolster bracket structure of vehicle |
US20060082116A1 (en) * | 2004-10-14 | 2006-04-20 | Riefe Richard K | Knee bolster |
US7331606B2 (en) * | 2004-10-14 | 2008-02-19 | Delphi Technologies, Inc. | Knee bolster |
US7708313B2 (en) | 2005-09-01 | 2010-05-04 | International Automotive Components Group North America, Inc. | Plastic basket countermeasure for door side impact |
US20090134670A1 (en) * | 2007-11-27 | 2009-05-28 | Clark Gregory M | Seal and water catch for recreational vehicle |
US7703829B2 (en) * | 2008-01-11 | 2010-04-27 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. | Instrument panel energy transferring system |
US20090179411A1 (en) * | 2008-01-11 | 2009-07-16 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. | Instrument panel energy transferring system |
US20090289470A1 (en) * | 2008-05-23 | 2009-11-26 | Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc. | Panel assembly for a vehicle |
US7677640B2 (en) | 2008-05-23 | 2010-03-16 | Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc. | Panel assembly for a vehicle |
US20110109113A1 (en) * | 2009-11-06 | 2011-05-12 | Suzuki Motor Corporation | Surrounding Structure of Storage Compartment of Instrument Panel |
US8434810B2 (en) * | 2009-11-06 | 2013-05-07 | Suzuki Motor Corporation | Surrounding structure of storage compartment of instrument panel |
US20180029555A1 (en) * | 2015-04-17 | 2018-02-01 | Ningbo Geely Automobile Research & Development Co. Ltd | Energy-absorbing knee bolster frame for a vehicle |
US10464516B2 (en) * | 2015-04-17 | 2019-11-05 | Ningbo Geely Automobile Research & Development Co., Ltd. | Energy-absorbing knee bolster frame for a vehicle |
US9845065B2 (en) * | 2016-03-24 | 2017-12-19 | Hyundai Motor Company | Knee bolster device for vehicle |
US20190367097A1 (en) * | 2018-05-29 | 2019-12-05 | Faurecia Interior Systems, Inc. | Fixation leg for a vehicle interior panel and method of manufacturing same |
US10836439B2 (en) * | 2018-05-29 | 2020-11-17 | Faurecia Interior Systems, Inc. | Fixation leg for a vehicle interior panel and method of manufacturing same |
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JP2003220914A (en) | 2003-08-05 |
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